In the Hands of the Enemy
by phoenixXVI
Summary: Yazoo survives the last fight with Cloud. Without Mother, Sephiroth or his brothers is there anything left for him? Please R&R Also, this story is complete and can stand alone, but, there is a sequel called A Rock and a Hard Place that is posted and still
1. Chapter 1

AN- No update just did a little touching up on this fic, it hasnt changed at all or anything though, just worked on the decriptions and character interplay a little.

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Yazoo gasped as he regained consciousness and pain streaked through him. He forced his muscles to relax and breathe deep so he could think. He remembered fighting Cloud, then the explosion. It had all been happened so fast. Kadaj was dead. /Loz? Where was Loz? Yazoo tried to open his eyes. His left eye felt like it was stuck shut with something sticky. Blood? When he blinked open the other he saw he was in an alley. Not far from the building they had fought on. It was raining still but he had landed under an overhang of sorts.

The sounds of children's laughing voices were approaching. Yazoo cursed mentally. He was out in the open and defenseless not to mention injured. And it was probably a safe bet that the citizens of Midgar were not happy with him after the destruction he and his brothers had caused.

When he heard the voices of adults over the children's he tried to sit up but the world spun and he fell back into unconsciousness.

Cloud stood on the edge of the pool in Aeris's church with his friends. It didn't look like the playing children would run out of energy anytime soon and for once Cloud didn't mind. Many had been mostly bed ridden due to the Geostigma so this was a welcome change.

A young man had come running into the church and went right up to Cloud and whispered into his ear. The rare smile that Cloud had had faded. He nodded to the boy.

"What is it?" Tifa asked with a weary expression.

"One of them is still alive" Cloud didn't want to believe it. He was still worn out from the fight with the three brothers and Sephiroth and just wanted to rest. Pushing his pain aside he followed the messenger out of the church. Tifa asked Barrett to watch the kids and make sure they got back to 7th Heaven safely and then followed Cloud.

Vincent had brought Fenrir to the church knowing Cloud wouldn't want it sitting in the ruins. Cloud waited for Tifa to hop on and went roaring down the street.

A small crowd had gathered a safe distance from the body lying crumpled against a wall with a roof still partially standing. He was unconscious and blood had covered one side of his face and matted his hair. Cloud was somewhat surprised to see that it was the longer haired, smaller built brother. There was a gleam of metal and Cloud saw the gunblade that he had fought with lying a few yards away.

Cloud knelt by the mans side. His breathing was shallow and hitched making Cloud sure that he had serious injuries that were hidden by the dark leather he wore.

Cloud debated on what to do. He certainly couldn't kill the man while he lay helpless. But he couldn't just leave him here or to the local authorities or the crowd that had gathered. If he still wanted to cause havoc then he would definitely be able to after he recovered unless Cloud was there to stop him. Cloud sighed, it seemed like he didn't have a choice.

He moved to lift the man into his arms. He was surprisingly light. Tifa was at his side and had guessed his intentions and was searching the man for weapons. On the ground beside him lay the bladed gun he had shot Cloud with. Tifa picked it up carefully and found something that she hoped was the safety and clicked it on. "Barrett wont be happy you know." She said and fell into step with Cloud.

A small crowd had gathered but did nothing more than buzz with whispers as they moved away from them. The citizens of Midgar would not forget the damage this man and his brothers had caused but they trusted Cloud.

"None of them will be." he replied and climbed onto his motorcycle holding the smaller man in front of him. He felt Tifa jump on behind him and reach her hands around to help. It was an awkward setup but it did work. It was slow going on the rain slicked streets and Cloud breathed a sigh of relief when they neared 7th Heaven.

Cid was outside, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette when they pulled up.

"Oh man, why the hell did you bring that scum here?" he said with a loathing expression on his face.

Cloud said nothing and merely walked past Cid and into the bar with the man in his arms. The room fell silent at the sight.

AVALANCHE had gathered to toast the victory over Bahamut. The cheerful mood vanished and Cloud could feel everyone's eyes on him as he went to the stairs. Vincent followed him as he went to his makeshift office. Tifa had gone ahead of him and was laying out an old mat onto the floor with a few sheets and blankets. Cloud laid him down gratefully. Even though the man was light his injured arm had begun to shake with the strain.

Vincent was leaning over the unconscious man. He pushed the hair away from the blood that was matting it to his face. " He may have a concussion. Are you going to treat him as well or merely wait until he wakes up?"

Cloud hung his head and sighed. This man and his brothers had been tricked by Jenova just as Sephiroth had been. Would he see that when he awoke? His brothers were dead because of their mad quest. Would it be enough to make him see the reality of what this _Mother _was? Hadn't Cloud been caught in the same trap once?

"We may as well treat him as best we can. It doesn't look like he'll be healed for a few days either way anyway." Hopefully he would wake up before then and Cloud could determine whether he was still a threat.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs and Barrett's voice bellowed "What's this Cid's saying about you bringing that cat eyed freak here! Cloud!" Barrett was in the doorway looking downright pissed. He saw the man on the mat and almost spit. "You cant keep him here with the kids. Its crazy!"

Cloud regarded Barrett calmly "If he does cause trouble I can stop him. I wont let him harm anyone. Especially the kids. You know that."

Barrett shook his head. "We should just kill him now and be done with it" he growled.

"NO!"

Marlene stepped out from behind her father with a stubborn expression on her face that was becoming all too familiar to Cloud.

"Why would you say that Marlene?" asked Vincent who was leaning against a wall near their unconscious charge.

Marlene was looking at Yazoo with a kind of sad expression. "He was the one who let me go when they had taken all the kids to the place where Kadaj made Denzel and the others drink the black water. After you saved Cloud he took me from Denzel and told me to run into the woods heading the way you had gone. He made sure his brother didn't notice, and I wouldn't have found you!" Marlene's big eyes stared up at Vincent then at Barrett.

"You cant kill him. He isn't all bad" she said, hands on her hips.

Barrett sighed. "Alright we wont kill him but you better keep a good eye on him Cloud. I hear that he's even looked at the kids funny then I'll finish him myself. "

Cloud just nodded. Barrett and Marlene left and Vincent went to go and get the med kit.

Cloud studied the silver haired man for a moment. He looked much younger and fragile now than he had when they had fought. Although he was unconscious Cloud could see that whatever dreams he had were unpleasant.

_Does he know he's the last one? They seemed to be so close, like real siblings….They fought as of they could read each others minds._

Vincent and Tifa came in with a bowl of water and various medical supplies. Tifa began cleaning the cut on the boys forehead. The silver strands of his hair turning dark under the water. He stirred but didn't wake. When it had been cleaned and salve applied they looked at one another.

They would have to take off the leather coat to check for injuries. Vincent and Cloud looked at Tifa.

Tifa simply rolled her eyes and began unzipping the long coat when the boy grabbed her wrist quickly. His eyes had flown open and Tifa could read the confusion and fear underneath the icy front. She took hold of the hand around her wrist gently. "It's alright, we're not going to hurt you. But you are injured and we need to see how badly." He merely stared at her for a minute then tried move away from her. Vincent grabbed his shoulders and pinned him down.

"Don't make this hard." he said into the boys face in that way that made it clear he didn't have a choice.

"Be careful Vincent!"

All four people looked at Marlene standing in the doorway again. Tifa gave the girl a disapproving glare. "Marlene! Go back-"

Marlene ignored her and came into the room walking right up to Vincent and his captive. "You're name is Yazoo right?" she planted herself next to the mat. Cloud motioned to Tifa to leave the child alone. He wanted to know how their charge would respond to her.

He turned his green cat eyes to her and nodded once. "Okay, well Yazoo, this is Vincent and Tifa and you know Cloud. They are gonna try and make you better okay?" Yazoo let his eyes close for a second then nodded again.

Vincent released his hold. Tifa herded Marlene out.

Vincent had unzipped the jacket to reveal the pale skin underneath mottled with bruises. He had tried to remove it completely but stopped when Yazoo tensed and winced at the movement. Cloud pulled the jacket away from his side. "Your ribs are broken" he said noting the black bruises and difficulty breathing. Yazoo said nothing, merely closed his eyes and nodded.

Cloud examined the broken bones carefully. It was two of the lower ribs and it seemed like a clean break. Had to hurt like hell though. He moved to get at a better angle to try and wrap them when he accidentally hit Yazoo's leg and the boy bit back a cry of pain.

"Sorry" he murmured. Looks like they found another injury. Between him and Vincent they got the ribs wrapped. When it came time to tend the injured leg there was a repeat performance of them all looking at Tifa and then at the leather pants.

Vincent looked down at Yazoo. "Are you wearing anything under the pants?" he asked. Yazoo looked at him like he was speaking a different language. A second later understanding came into the green eyes and Cloud could have sworn that he blushed.

"There's a zipper underneath the buckles on the lower leg that opens up sufficiently" he said slightly startling everyone. His voice was filled with pain but it was a smooth and clear. Cloud liked the sound of it. Vincent found the aforementioned zipper that ran along the inside of his leg. It was rather convenient as Cloud didn't think that Yazoo could handle taking the pants off at the moment. Yazoo's left knee was back and blue as his ribs and obviously dislocated. Without a word Tifa took Yazoo's shoulders while Cloud took his other leg and held them down.

"This will hurt but its necessary" said Vincent. Again Yazoo said nothing but Cloud saw him clench his jaw slightly. Vincent quickly cracked the limb into place. Yazoo made no sound except to speed up his breathing and close his eyes.

Vincent bandaged the knee firmly then rezipped the pants. "You don't have any other weapons on you?" Cloud asked Yazoo. Yazoo opened his eyes and seemed to think for a minute. He could lie but Cloud was really too exhausted to care at this point. If Yazoo did lie to him than it would show Cloud just where he stood.

Yazoo shook his head. "Alright then, get some sleep" he said and left the room. He returned a short time later with some sleeping gear and laid it down by the door. Tifa and Vincent had cleaned up the med supplies and passed him as they left. Tifa touched his arm. "Are you okay? We should take a look at your arm."

Cloud shook his head. "In the morning. Thanks Tifa." She just smiled at him. "Don't mention it. Let me know if you need anything"

Cloud rested back into his impromptu bed. He had chosen to put Yazoo in his office as it was farther from the children's rooms than his own. Sleeping on the floor didn't bother him. It didn't seem to bother Yazoo either who had seemingly either passed out or fallen asleep. _I hope I'm not wrong about this_ Cloud closed his eyes and tried to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Yazoo had thought that it was his brother come for him when he had felt the zipper of his leather jacket being undone. Shock was not sufficient enough to describe what he felt when he saw that it was that black haired woman who hung around Cloud.

Marlene had made him feel better for some reason. He remembered sending the child back to Strife after their fight. He had been torn between anger and fear at his enemies treating his wounds. His brothers had been the only ones to do so before. He recognized the red clad man who had fixed his knee. They had seen each other at the Forgotten Capitol across the lake. Each had watched the other for a few moments before Kadaj had come to get Yazoo and the man had disappeared.

The thought of Kadaj sent a slice of pain through Yazoo's heart. They had been closer than he had been to Loz. Although he missed both his brothers terribly the loss of Kadaj felt sharpest. But if he had survived then maybe Loz had as well? It would make sense if he was thrown someplace where he couldn't be easily found. If anyone should have survived the blast it should have been Loz not Yazoo. Exhaustion began to take over his mind again.

/Cloud, brother, he had brought him here, Why? Did it matter/ Yazoo felt his cold anger seep into him. He wasn't supposed to be here. He should be with his brothers. He would endure accepting help from the enemy. He would endure it for the chance to find his bother. His leg and ribs would heal in a few days and he would go and search. He kept his eyes closed when he heard Cloud enter the room and talked with Tifa.

The sounds that came after said that Cloud would be sleeping in the same room. Yazoo listened until Cloud became quiet. He knew the other man was injured as well. He had shot him with Velvet Nightmare after all. He couldn't be in as bad a shape as Yazoo though. He had seemed alright while bandaging him. Either way there was no possibilyt that Yazoo could escape now.

Yazoo let himself drift in to a real sleep where for the first time there was no Sephiroth or Mother. Instead there was a peacefully sleeping Kadaj and Loz screaming his name.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cloud watched Yazoo sleep through the morning. He wasn't surprised. The silver haired boy had been moving in his sleep all night as if he were trapped in nightmare. Cloud had bandaged his shoulder and other wounds he had received in the fighting yesterday. He noticed that despite Yazoo's lack of rest he looked marginally better as well. The cut on his head was quickly becoming a faint scar and his color was much better. Cloud wasn't sure that was a good thing or a bad thing. Yazoo had been cooperative yesterday but he hadn't really been in much of a position to put up a fight.

Cloud walked down the stairs to the bar where Tifa was getting ready to open. She smiled at him as he came in. " How are you feeling?" she asked, her deep eyes taking in the bandages. Cloud shrugged. "Fine"

Tifa just smiled to herself and shook her head. "And Yazoo?" she poured Cloud a cup of coffee and pushed the sugar dish towards him. "He hasn't woken yet."

There was the sound of small feet pounding down the stairs and Denzel and Marlene appeared. "Cloud!" cried Denzel and ran up to the blonde smiling. Cloud took in Denzel's healthy glow and energetic face and smiled. It was just yesterday that he had been infected with Geostigma. Marlene tugged on Clouds sleeve. "Is Yazoo okay? Why hasn't he woken up?"

Cloud frowned. "Marlene, you have to promise to stay out of that room unless either Tifa, Barrett, Vincent or I is with you understand?" Marlene looked downcast for a minute then nodded.

"Don't worry Marlene, Yazoo is just resting. It takes a lot of energy to heal wounds like he has" Tifa said softly.

"I don't understand why you are helping him anyway! It was him and his brothers that caused Bahamut and who made us drink that nasty water! He himself shot Cloud! I-"

"Denzel!"

The angry boy was cut off by Tifa. The black haired woman came and knelt next to him. "Yazoo was hurt badly when he was found. Cloud could not have killed a helpless man. There may be a chance for Yazoo to change his ways. If we just turned our backs and refused to help then we would be just as bad they were."

Denzel looked at the ground. Tifa turned to Marlene. "Marlene, why don't you and Denzel go upstairs and play? I have to open the bar now."

Marlene nodded and took Denzels hand and dragged him up the stairs. They were headed to their room on the third floor but she paused in front of the door to Clouds office. It was half open and she could see a glimpse of silver hair. Denzel pulled on her arm. "Don't even think about it" he muttered.

"You don't have to be so mean about him! He wasn't the one who made you do those things after the water. It was Kadaj! And you drank the water on your own anyways!" she said when they had reached their room and closed the door.

Denzel rolled his eyes at her. "They were all brothers Marlene. All of them are evil. Maybe you're just too young to understand." with that he went to the corner of the room to pull out a drawing pad and crayons.

Marlene sat on the edge of her bed and looked out the window. It didn't matter what Denzel said. She knew that Yazoo wasn't evil. He wouldn't have helped her if he was evil, right? And last night with Vincent and Cloud hovering over him he looked like he was scared and trying hard to hide it. No, he's not evil.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yazoo opened his eyes slowly, lifting a fine boned hand to rub the sleep out of them. It was dark in the room again and a glance towards the window told him that night had fallen. He had slept through the whole day. Yazoo sighed then tried to sit up. The stabbing pain in his side had lessened to a throbbing ache. He stretched his knee, it was very stiff and a little swollen and still hurt like a bitch but at least it was moving.

Altogether he felt much better.

The door that had been half shut opened a little further and the woman Marlene had called Tifa poked her head in. The light from the hallway came into the room. "Oh! You're up. Wait just a minute and I'll get you something to eat." she was gone and headed back down the stairs. He wasn't all that hungry. When Tifa returned there were heavy footsteps behind hers and Cloud appeared. Yazoo watched them both with a blank expression. Tifa set a bowl of soup next to him. "It's not much but you'll be able to keep it down after not eating for so long." she said.

Yazoo wasn't really sure what to do. He didn't want these people of all to be helping him. Cloud had killed Kadaj had he not? His brother. These people were the enemy…….. weren't they? Cloud was watching him with his soulful blue eyes. "Don't worry, its not poisoned or anything" he said. Yazoo didn't respond, of course it wouldn't be. Cloud could have killed him any time. He didn't need poison.

Once again Marlene came to his rescue. She popped her head in the room and called, "Tifa! Cloud! Me and Denzel are ready for bed. You promised us a story!" Tifa smiled at her. "Alright, we'll be there in a minute." Tifa turned to Yazoo. "I'll be back in a little while to get the bowl." she left taking Cloud with her.

Yazoo picked up the bowl feeling much less self conscious. He could only force a few spoonfuls down his throat. It wasn't that it was bad, it was actually quite good he noted absently. He just couldn't make himself take food from an enemy even if it would give him the strength to find his brother. /Tomorrow. I will go tomorrow./

He set the bowl aside and began making plans as to how to go about searching for Loz in the morning.

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A/N okay, please tell me what you think so far and if i should continue or just can it... 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

/This was much easier in theory/ Yazoo thought as Cloud blocked his way out the door with his overly huge sword.

"You aren't going anywhere" said the blonde. Yazoo stared at him levelly, even though he had to look up a little to do it.

"I have to find my brother. You can try and stop me but you wont succeed." Yazoo pushed the sword to the side. Cloud stepped in front of him. Yazoo began contemplating using force and starting another fight when Tifa came and pushed the two who were glaring daggers apart. Yazoo stepped back under her hand and stepped badly onto his hurt knee. It gave way beneath him and he ended up on the floor.

"Damn, I'm sorry Yazoo. Cloud stop trying to pick a fight." said Tifa as she helped Yazoo up.

Cloud opened his mouth and gave her an incredulous look. He swallowed what he was going to say at another glare from the barmaid. Yazoo started towards the door again when it opened revealing Reno and Rude. Yazoo sighed mentally. The redhead and his partner really had the worst timing.

He tried to step past them when Reno grabbed his arm. "Hey where do you think you're going?" he drawled. Yazoo gave him an icy glare. Weren't these the guys that had caused the explosion that had separated Yazoo and Loz from Kadaj in the first place?

Yazoo jerked his arm away. Cloud followed him out the door.

The two Turks looked at each other then at Tifa. The dark haired girl just waved her hands at them. "What are you waiting for?" she said impatiently. "Go after them! They're going to look for the other brother." Reno rolled his eyes and left, following Cloud. Rude was impassive as ever and just went along to keep Reno from creating havoc.

Yazoo had barely made it to the collapsing building where the explosion between Cloud and themselves had happened. He was already tired and in pain. He pushed all that to the side of his mind. He knew that Cloud and the two Turks were right behind him watching. He tried to push them out of his mind too. The brothers had always been able to sense where each other were. It was like a small pulse in the back of Yazoo's mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

He started walking down a side street. There it was, the pulse was weak but it was definitely in this direction. There was debris everywhere. Pieces of the building that had fallen into the alleys. Yazoo looked up. There, that had been where he had fallen. So Loz couldn't be far.

"This is impossible. Look at all this shit. There's no way we could find him in all this. He's probably dead anyway." the redheaded Turk whined.

Yazoo didn't respond. He knew Loz wasn't dead. He continued walking but more slowly. He was getting close. But the direction was wrong. Off to his left there was a kind of landslide of concrete that had fallen from the taller parts of the building. Yazoo walked over to it. Here, this is where Loz should be. Yazoo pulled on a large piece of asphalt and pushed it away. His side cried out in protest but he ignored it. He kept clearing the rubble away. Cloud came beside him and helped. After a minute and a smartass comment from Reno, so did the Turks.

"Loz!" Yazoo cried when he saw a mangled leather clad leg. There was a huge piece of rubble that took all of them to move before Yazoo was able to sit kneel next to his brother. Loz was unconscious. Yazoo caught his breath when he saw how badly hurt Loz was. His limbs were broken in several places. There were deep cuts in his chest through the black leather. "Loz, its me. Wake up Loz."

Yazoo breathed a sigh of relief when his brother opened his eyes.

Cloud knew that Loz couldn't survive for long. It was a miracle that he wasn't dead already. He watched Yazoo wake him. The look on the younger mans face was heart wrenching. Reno and Rude turned away. It seemed like such a private scene.

"I missed you" said Loz. Yazoo bit his lip. "I'm here now. I'm going to take care of you" Cloud could see the denial in Yazoo's eyes.

Loz seemed to laugh a little. "its too late. It was all a lie Yazoo. Mother, she wasn't what we thought…." Loz turned his head to see Cloud standing there.

"Take care of Yazoo, brother. He isn't as tough as he seems…." said Loz as his eyes dimmed. Cloud nodded. He could grant this mans dying wish. "I will".

Loz turned back to Yazoo. "Goodbye, brother….."

Loz let out a ragged breath. He closed his eyes with a small smile. Just like his brother before him he dissipated into green pinpricks of light to join the lifestream.

Yazoo couldn't move. He felt as if his body had gone cold. He was frozen, Loz had left him, just like Kadaj, Mother and that bastard that started all this. Sephiroth.

He had thought his heart would break seeing his brother a minute ago. Now he just felt numb. He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't really register who it was. There were hands pulling him from his kneeling position in the rubble and voices asking him questions. He was closed to it all.

Kadaj, Loz, Mother, Sephiroth. They had been his world. Where did he go from here? What was he supposed to do? Who was he without them?

Cloud slung Yazoo's arm around his shoulder with Reno on his other side. Yazoo didn't respond to anything they said and just stared straight ahead like he wasn't seeing anything. He walked on his own but only at their guidance. Reno kept up a comforting nonsensical banter all the way there. For once Could was grateful for the talkative redhead. He didn't think he could stand the silence right now when his mind kept flashing to the look on Yazoo's face when Loz had died.

They made it back to the bar and Tifa came running towards them and motioned them to a back room in the kitchen. Cloud and Reno sat Yazoo down at a table. Reno tried to get the silver haired mans attention. He waved his hand in front of his face and tugged on his longish hair lightly. Finally he stood back and put his hands on his hips.

" I didn't want to do this." he said and slapped Yazoo hard.

Yazoo's head turned to the side under the slap and when he looked back at Reno he was blinking as if coming out of a dream. He winced and raised a hand to his cheek.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked. Reno nodded and sat next to him putting his feet up on the table. Cloud and Rude sat down as well.

Yazoo looked at the table. But it wasn't the blank stare, just kind of lost. Cloud studied Yazoo in earnest for a moment. He was actually rather delicately built. He was slender and had face a sculptor would love to have as a model. He was pale but not in a sickly way, with his silver hair it went well. His hair was in his eyes a lot but it didn't seem to bother him.

Yazoo put his hands on the table and folded them. He rested his forehead on the intertwined fingers. Cloud hesitated then put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, about your brothers. I wish it could have been different."

Yazoo lifted his head. Cloud expected accusations and insults but Yazoo just regarded him thoughtfully. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It was Mother and Sephiroth who killed them. Not you." The catlike eyes seemed to burn for a moment. Otherwise his face was unreadable.

Reno pulled his feet off the table and leaned onto his elbows. "That still cant make it easy for you Quicksilver. It's not like you weren't right there with them." he lit a cigarette as Yazoo ducked his head a little, letting his hair fall in his eyes.

Tifa walked in to the room and cuffed Reno upside the head. "Be nice." she ordered.

She walked up to Yazoo and put a hand under his chin and lifted his head. Cloud had to give it to the girl. She had balls.

At first Yazoo tensed and tried to pull away. Tifa just moved her hand pushed some strands of hair behind his ear. "You found him didn't you?" her eyes were giving Yazoo that sympathetic soulful look. Yazoo said nothing. Tifa pulled him into a hug. Yazoo looked like he would bolt or break her neck but wasn't sure which. Then something seemed to break in his eyes and he leaned his head on Tifa's shoulder just barely.

Everyone in the room, including Reno was stunned into silence. Tifa pulled away and smiled at Yazoo. "Don't worry about anything. We would love for you to stay here with us. I think Marlene would have a fit if you left actually."

Yazoo shook his head as if to clear it. "I don't understand. We're enemies. How can-"

"Were enemies, as long as you aren't planning on a another Reunion anytime soon I have no reason to fight you. As far as I'm concerned its all history." she quipped. Yazoo looked as if he thought the woman was crazy. Tifa just gave him another smile. "You look tired. Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest. I'll bring some food up for you in a bit."

Yazoo went as fast as his injured leg could take him back to the room where he had been sleeping. Cloud and the Turks sat in silence for awhile. Tifa raised an eyebrow at them. "Well, what happened?" she demanded finally.

Cloud sighed. "He found his brother." Tifa rolled her eyes. /Thank you Mr. Obvious/ She rounded on Reno. "Can you offer a better explanation please?"

"Certainly, Yazoo found his brother just to see him die. Didn't accomplish much accept to have the one called Loz make Blondie over here promise to watch out for the psycho upstairs." Reno rubbed the back of his neck with a cheeky grin on his face as Tifa glared at him. "Nice to know you are all sooo sensitive about it."

Cloud stood and walked out and up the stairs. Tifa just shrugged and went back to tending the bar where the patrons were calling. Rude stood abruptly and pulled Reno to his feet when he didn't follow. "What?" protested the younger Turk. "She asked and I told her!" Rude just left the bar as quickly as possible with his partner in tow.

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A/N Okay, was this one too sappy? I apologize of it was. Anyways, If you read thisPLEASE REVIEW!Evenif its just to tell me it was a total waste of your time to read. thats cool with me. flameswelcome! Anything, please...


	6. Chapter 6

Yazoo collapsed onto the makeshift bed. His throat felt tight and something in his chest hurt so much he could hardly breath around it. He wouldn't cry, he couldn't. Loz was the one who cried. His thoughts were going a million miles a minute in his head. He missed his brothers so much. How could they just leave him here like this? And these people? Why were they trying to help him? He had tried to kill the one called Reno, and Cloud on more than one occasion. He was even more confused at his reaction to the woman called Tifa. He had let her hold him a little, even for just a second it still confused him. The only people who had ever really touched him were his brothers. /Kadaj……../

Yazoo tried his best to make his mind blank. He didn't want to think about them. He buried his face in the pillow. He was so tired, but sleep seemed so elusive. His brain was demanding answers. What would he do now? Where would he go? He couldn't really stay here. When would he be strong enough to leave? Yazoo had always been the one to plan the details of things for the brothers. Places to stay, food, money, supplies etc. He had been the responsible one. Now he was responsible for nothing and for no one. There was nothing left for him now.

Cold settled through his mind as the thought sunk in. He really had no purpose for living anymore. It didn't scare him to think of it. Just left him feeling unsettled. His mind quieted down and finally sleep came. He could only hope that it would be dreamless.

The next few days were uneventful yet Cloud had an uneasy feeling about Yazoo. He was too calm, too emotionless. He spent his time in the room that had become his. Cloud had begun moving his office supplies to the attic. It was a work in progress. Yazoo said little and ate almost nothing. Tifa tried to talk to him and Marlene tried to get him to play. Both were greeted with silence. Cloud expected that this morning would be no different.

He went down to the bar where Tifa was making breakfast and getting the bar ready to open. He sat on a stool and she smiled at him and set a plate of oatmeal and toast in front of him. He nodded to her in thanks. "you have a delivery today?" she asked.

"yes, in Kalm. Vincent should be here soon too. He called yesterday." Cloud noted that Tifa was probably the only person on the planet who could make oatmeal really taste good. There were pounding footsteps heard on the stairs and Marlene came running in.

"Tifa! Tifa! Yazoo…. He's went out the window. I saw him running down the alley."

Cloud cursed and shot outside. He looked up and down the street but there was no sign of the silver haired man. Tifa and Marlene stood in the doorway. "which way did he go?" asked Cloud tersely as he hoped on his motorcycle.

Marlene pointed and Cloud got a sick feeling in his stomach. Yazoo was headed back to the ruined building where they had found Loz.

Yazoo ran. It felt good after so many days of inactivity. He had finally managed to figure it out. There had been a mistake. He was meant to be with his brothers. Cloud had been wrong to rescue him. He should have left Yazoo to die. Sephiroth's bodies of thoughts were done with. Yazoo would correct the mistake.

His knee had healed completely and he ran and jumped his way up the crumbling building. Higher and higher. He would go to the very top where they had last fought Cloud. Where Kadaj had died. He made it finally. He looked up into the gray sky. Then down at the ground below. There, that was the longest fall and had sharp jutting pieces of concrete sticking up at the bottom. Yazoo backed up a few yards. He took a deep breath the broke into a full out run, his feet had just left the edge when he heard someone scream his name. It didn't matter anymore. He closed his eyes and felt the air tear at his clothes and hair. The sick sensation of falling was the only thing that felt real.

Cloud pulled his bike up short when he saw a slim figure standing on the top of the building. Yazoo was still for a moment and Cloud thought that maybe he had been wrong. That Yazoo just wanted to come to the place he had lost his brothers. But when he started to run Cloud knew he wouldn't stop. He screamed his name but it was too late. He had failed Loz.

Cloud jumped off his bike and ran forward. Maybe he could catch Yazoo and break his fall. He knew it was ludicrous even as he did it. Yazoo was so high up and he was just free falling with no direction but down. Cloud saw a surge of red out of the corner of his eye. He stopped. Vincent was here.

His fall was halted abruptly and Yazoo's mind went into shock for a moment as he realized he wasn't in the grip of gravity any longer but surrounded by leather clad arms, a metal claw and flowing red fabric.

He felt himself being lowered to the ground. He lay there still waiting for his brain to grasp what had happened. He lay on his back on the ground with Vincent crouched over him, a knee on either side of Yazoo and his hands beside his head. Yazoo looked at the man for a minute. Then something snapped inside Yazoo and he was screaming and beating on Vincent's chest. "How could you! What fucking right do you have? How could you?" Vincent just let him rant. Yazoo eventually stopped screaming and sobbed.

"Let it out. Tell me why you are so angry." said Vincent. His calm voice was maddening to Yazoo. "why the hell do you care? You couldn't understand if I told you!" Yazoo moved to crawl away from Vincent but he just held the smaller man in place with his metal claw. "I can understand. You are the one here who seems to be confused." Vincent's red eyes seemed to burn into his captive. Yazoo struggled in the other mans grip screaming. "I hate it! I hate it all. It was all a lie! They all lied to me damn it!" Yazoo was crying now, tears winding down his face and into his hair. He turned onto his side and pounded the ground with his fist. He let out a final scream that almost froze even Vincents blood. "Sephiroth!" Yazoo choked on the end of the cry and eventually calmed down. He just lay in the ground underneath Vincent, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. Cloud came to kneel beside them.

"I don't understand" Cloud watched Yazoo slowly open his eyes. A minute passed and Cloud didn't think he would get an answer. Yazoo sighed then sat up, Vincent let him but stayed near. "If everyone who was in your life died, Tifa, the kids, AVALANCHE everything that was anything. What would you do? With no one left? With no purpose?" Yazoo's voice was almost a whisper but both men heard him clearly.

"I have felt that before." Cloud hated thinking of his last battle with Sephiroth. He had lost Zach and Aeris and Sephiroth who he had admired. Yazoo lifted his eyes to meet his. It was like he was searching Clouds soul for the truth. Cloud held out his hand to the smaller man. "You aren't completely alone, you still have one brother, and Tifa has already made it clear that any family of mine is welcome. I also doubt Vincent would have saved you if he didn't want anything to do with you."

Yazoo looked from Vincent to Cloud. / Funny how he doesn't seem to mind Vincent's eyes. Most people can't stand them long/ Cloud still had his hand out. Yazoo reached toward it tentatively at first, then firmly and Cloud used their opposing weights to pull them both to their feet.

Vincent stood beside them. "We have company." he said and Cloud heard the sound of rapid footfalls in their direction. He turned to see Reno and Rude running towards them. They stopped when they saw them all standing there. "Tifa said she thought you could use some help." said Rude. Reno was panting and out of breath. Cloud looked back at Yazoo who was watching Reno with mild amusement. "Everything's fine" he said to the Turks.

Reno straightened then walked over to them. "Next time you want to run off and scare the hell out of everyone could you at least do it at a more reasonable time than at the crack of dawn?" Yazoo just quirked an eyebrow at him and walked forward until he was facing off with the Turk. "If I wanted to scare the hell out of you it wouldn't take much effort. As it is that wasn't my intention. When it is you will know."

Reno just smiled back. "Wow, I haven't heard you say so much at one time. Guess I must be rubbing off on ya" Yazoo gave one of his small "Hmphs" and backed away slightly.

Cloud gave Reno a look that said Back Off. "I see Shin Ra still keeps its nose is everyone's business." said Vincent to the Turks.

Rude looked affronted and Reno just shrugged nonchalantly. "What did you expect? Rufus would just forget about them?" he said flippantly referring to Yazoo. Cloud looked annoyed and went back to his motorcycle. Yazoo was looking up at the building he had just jumped off of, lost in thought. Vincent tapped his shoulder and motioned to where Cloud was sitting perched atop his bike. "I'll meet you at 7th heaven" he said and walked back down the alley.

Yazoo realized he was supposed to ride back with Cloud. He hesitated. If he went back with them, what would it be for? Why go back just to be useless? Yazoo remembered when he and his brothers had begun their search for Mother. Kadaj could go on about how life would be once they found her. No more searching and running or fighting. Just a family, a life . Is that not what Cloud had just offered him when he had held out his hand?

Yazoo walked forward past the Turks and climbed on behind his brother. The blonde said nothing and Yazoo made a mental note to dodge the spikes. "Thank you." he said softly before Cloud started the engine. Cloud nodded before they sped off back toward the bar.

Reno scratched his head with a puzzled look on his face. "Why do I feel like we just missed something important?"


End file.
